Chef Chat

Chef Joe Bastianich tells his story in 'Restaurant Man'

Joe Bastianich

Joe Bastianich has no illusions about the restaurant industry. It's hard work and a bit of compulsiveness. Starting with his family's restaurant, opened when he was just 3 years old, he learned the old-fashioned way.

No sugar coating or soft selling from Bastianich, who admits he can be brutally honest.

That straightforward approach has helped this "nice Italian boy from Queens" to partner with Mario Batali and build an empire of more than two dozen restaurants spanning the globe. His reach spans from New York to Los Angeles, Italy and Singapore and includes three vineyards, plus duties as a judge on TV's "MasterChef." His recent memoir, "Restaurant Man," was inspired by the death of his father.

Around the time of his 40th birthday, Bastianich made a few major life changes. Taking charge of his health, he started running and even contemplated giving up pasta. Last year, he competed in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Now he doesn't go anywhere without his running shoes.

A former two-pack-a-day smoker, he is a spokesman for the BluePrint to Quit initiative, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline.

He and his wife, Deanna, have three children, ages 11 to 15. Bastianich regularly answers questions from fans on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, go to joebastianich.com.

Q. You've always been a little more behind the scenes, the partner, but now you're on television, you've written a memoir and you're more high-profile. What appeals about sharing your story now?

A. I turned 40. My father died. He was the original restaurant man. It was cathartic and therapeutic for me. It worked for me; cheaper than going to the $475 an hour therapist. I have an expensive analyst. They're probably not so expensive in Milwaukee.

Q. Your parents opened their first restaurant when you were 3, and you grew up in the business. How involved are your kids in the restaurant world?

A. They're involved in eating in restaurants.

Q. A few years ago, you started training for marathons and Ironman competitions. What pushes you?

A. Smoking many years ago was the first part of that journey. I was a heavy smoker until about 1999, smoking two packs a day. I kind of had a wake-up call with my daughter 14 years ago. In an industry where smoking is very prevalent - I think statistics are over 30% in the industry smoke, the personalities, late nights - aside from smoking being bad for you, it diminishes your main asset in the food and wine business: your sense of smell and taste. I found out I was able to taste much better, taste food better.

Q. So, how did that lead you to running marathons?

A. After I quit smoking, I gained weight. Training, I can make my own schedule. I train to run, bike, swim. I try to get it all in, but quitting smoking was the first and most important part of that journey. I did the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, last year.

Q. Have you seen a change in restaurants or clientele as smoking laws have changed?

A. The food and service industry, it hits home with me. They work hard, they're great, there's a certain compulsiveness and OCD that people in restaurants who do well have, and smoking is prevalent in our world. I think less people smoke, hopefully.

Q. Has it changed the way you drink wine?

A. The experience of tasting wine is essentially olfactory, and your smell comes alive after you stop smoking. It was like being able to taste like never before.

People can become better chefs, cooks, food professionals by quitting. I did it on my own with Nicorette patches and a lot of willpower. I threw down the gauntlet with my family and peers, avoiding the social and habitual trigger points. The social part is as hard to break as the nicotine habit.

Q. How long did it take you to quit?

A. Many tries. The final try, I made a 100-day commitment to the patch, and it worked.

Q. When people watch reality shows like "MasterChef," what are they missing?

A. When you see it on TV it seems kind of glitzy, this media-driven food world. I think sometimes people don't understand just how physical and hard this business is and how hard it is to dedicate your life to it. It can give you an incredible satisfaction. But it may seem more alluring from the outside when you're watching it

Q. Is there anything you won't eat?

A. I try to stay away from any kind of saturated fat. That means (I eat) a lot of vegetables, lean proteins. I eat a lot of pasta. People associate pasta with weight gain, but I think that in the proper proportions you can do it.

Q. As a restaurateur, how do you approach portion sizes?

A. We do think about it in our restaurants. America has been conditioned to think of pasta as the never-ending pasta bowl and Olive Garden. The Italian thing is pasta, sauce is condiment, dressed like you dress a salad. . . . I'm writing a book right now (featuring) 100 pasta dishes under 500 calories each.

Q. Explain the concept behind Eataly, which you're bringing to Chicago next year.

A. Eataly is the emporium of all things great in Italian shopping and eating, the best of what is local. Eat in our restaurants, enjoy a celebration of the culture of the Italian table. . . . It's slated to open in late 2013; a little too early to tell.

Q. Do you have a favorite food city?

A. New York is the best food city in the world.

Q. What's your overall message?

A. "Restaurant Man" is kind of the story, an unabridged story of what happened in my life, the good bad and ugly. Some people might glean some life lessons. It is honest, not written as a press release. I think if you read the book you can understand what has made me, the son of an immigrant: People who left everything behind and worked hard, a sense of frugality and respect of earning money and how that's changed to this very media-driven entertainment business.

Q. Do you consider yourself frugal?

A. Being frugal, conscious of making money, is not a negative thing. That sensibility of creating value and finding value and reinvesting in those customers is what separates great restaurants from the average ones.